A/N: Thank you to EVERYONE who has read and reviewed my story Worst Case Scenario, which is just a fraction of THIS story written from Wade's perspective. This is a multi-chapter fic from Zoe's perspective with my own take on how I'd love to see Season 2 go down.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not Hart of Dixie, not the characters and very unfortunately, not Zoe Hart's wardrobe. In addition, there is a portion of a poem in this chapter by Elinor Wylie, which I obviously don't own, since it was written way before I was born.

Summary: As another Bluebell tradition moves closer, Zoe Hart is having trouble of the romantic nature. But can a mysterious invitation be just what she needs to sort out her true desires?

Special Thanks to Kayla- my amazing beta and personal sounding board. You're the best!


Ch. 1

Dr. Zoe Hart leaned against the railing of the gazebo that sat in the center of town. She was in her full ball gown and a jeweled mask that had been a gift from the man she was waiting to meet. For a moment, all was quiet as she peered up at the dazzling stars overhead. Such beauty was lost in the brightness of New York City. Zoe took a deep breath, shaking off her nerves as she pondered all of the strange things that had led her to this moment.

She hadn't heard the footsteps approach from behind, but she felt his presence all of a sudden very acutely.

"Dr. Zoe Hart," he whispered huskily. His breath tickled Zoe's ear, causing her to shiver despite the warmth of the evening.

She paused, not sure how to respond. The whisper had disguised his voice enough that she couldn't tell if she recognized it or not. Finally, after a long moment she answered. "Why all the… mystery?" she asked, feeling her teeth chatter more with excitement and nervous energy than from cold. He chuckled then, a quiet, melodic sound that made every nerve in her body tingle. She tried to turn to face him, but he stopped her, gently resting his hands on the back of her arms. "Won't you tell me who you are?" she asked. Curiosity and excitement… maybe a hint of danger outweighed any panic she was feeling about her secret rendezvous. He leaned in close again.

"Soon," he whispered in her ear. "Close your eyes…"


-72 Hours Earlier-

Six weeks. That's how long it had been since everything in Bluebell had gone to hell. Six long, exhausting weeks since the storm of the year. Forty-two days since Bluebell's perfect couple had called off their wedding. One thousand and eight hours since the night she had spent with Wade.

Zoe thought back to that night often over the last six weeks. The smile on Wade's face when she had walked back into the room after answering the door. The complete shock she felt after receiving the news from George about the wedding being canceled. The way Wade had held her close as the rain beat against the roof. The secure feeling inside her when he let her fall asleep on his shoulder as he played with her hair. She was grateful that he hadn't been able to see the tears welling in her eyes as she drifted off to sleep thinking about how in the morning everything would change.

And change it did. In fact, the next morning she had woken alone. When she finally tracked Wade down at the Rammer Jammer the conflicted feeling inside her only grew.

"Hey Doc," he had said with a nod, signature grin gracing his features.

"Hi," she replied quietly. She accepted the cup of coffee that he placed in front of her and glanced around. The place was abuzz with word of the wedding that wasn't. Speculation abounded of why George and Lemon had called off the wedding and Zoe felt her cheeks flush overhearing at least a few of the assumptions.

She studied Wade carefully as he worked around the bar. There was no trace in his features of his feelings regarding the previous night. He was acting as he always had. Finally, Wade stopped in front of her to wipe down the counter long enough for her to say something.

"So, about last night…" Zoe began.

"Let's just call it what it was, Doc," he replied calmly. Zoe met his eyes and gave him an expectant look, waiting for him to continue. Waiting for him to explain what she couldn't put into words. That maybe there was something more between them than just sexual chemistry and witty banter. She could feel a blush on her cheeks from the memories alone. But the words that came out of his mouth expressed none of those emotions. "A do-over from the heat wave," he explained casually. "Ya know a free pass… tension relief. Whatever."

Zoe bit down on her bottom lip, fearful to reply. The night before had not been that for her. It had been the beginning of something, not the end. But with George showing up at her door, she wasn't sure which beginning she wanted more; the one she had imagined and hoped for since she had first arrived in Bluebell, or the one she had only realized for the first time the night before. Finally, she dared to meet his eyes again. "But the barn… I thought-"

Wade shrugged. "Guess you thought wrong, Doc." And then he disappeared into the kitchen.

Thinking back on it now, she regretted calling the electrician, but she hadn't been able to handle the thought that she was just another one night stand to Wade. It was that day that she pulled out the yellow pages and located the closest electrician and called him to fix the fuse box. She knew it was the wrong move. Even then she knew the bruise to her ego wasn't worth that. And the first time she made a cup of coffee and no lights flickered- nothing, in fact, happened- the dull hollow ache in her confirmed it. Confirmed that what she and Wade had shared would never be shared again.

After word spread of the wedding being canceled, Lemon had taken Magnolia to the Breeland cottage on the coast for the summer. Brick went there most weekends and Lavon had been once or twice- although the only people to know about that were Magnolia and Zoe.

Since the wedding/storm debacle, things had changed drastically for Zoe Hart. Although she had made dinner for George a few days after Lemon left town, Zoe made him keep his distance-which wasn't easy considering she went weak-kneed every time he smiled at her. She had explained to George that he needed time to process the end of his relationship and they agreed, once again, to simply remain friends for a while. Zoe hated to admit it, but she was beginning to wonder if Wade had been right about the best way to get over 'golden boy'. After the night she had spent with Wade, somehow her feelings for George were different. And since then, she and Wade had managed to avoid one another completely. With Lavon working more and visiting Lemon, Zoe was beginning to feel the lonesome effects of her hiatus from men since the storm.

If there was one bright side it was that Zoe and Annabeth were spending time together again. They had been to Mobile a few times to go shopping and they spent most Wednesday nights at the Rammer Jammer when Shelley was bartending for Ladies Night.

In fact, it was on this particular Wednesday night that Zoe found herself sitting at the bar waiting for Annabeth. It had been an exhausting day at the office since Brick had left that afternoon to get Magnolia and Lemon for the Founder's weekend events. Zoe was almost through with her third $2 margarita when she felt her cell phone vibrate in her pocket. The words "Be there soon" flashed across the screen with Annabeth's name hovering above them.

Zoe knew that the staff at the Rammer Jammer would be switching shifts soon, which meant that Shelley and Annabeth should be there about the same time. She was starved for dirt on her friend's lives since all her romance now consisted of living vicariously through them. Zoe sighed and took a long drink from her glass. Turning back toward the counter, her eyes widened in horror as she spotted a particular blond bartender stacking glasses at the other end of the bar.

"How's the drink?" Wade drawled coolly, making his way toward where she sat.

"What are you doing here?" Zoe asked harshly.

Wade quirked a brow. "Nice to see you too, Doc," he replied. Then after a beat. "And I work here."

Zoe's eyes narrowed. "You know what I mean. It's Wednesday."

"Huh," he countered. "So it is."

"You don't work on Wednesdays."

"And yet here I am."

Zoe felt her cheeks flush. It was the most they'd spoken in weeks and she couldn't help but feel that same jolt of electricity course through her even after everything that had happened. She told herself it was the tequila and tried not to think about the night they'd spent together. Somehow, snapshots still trickled through her mind and she wondered, not for the first time, how she had let Wade turn her into just one of his many one-night-stands.

"Considering another?" He asked, as if he'd heard her thoughts.

"What? No!" She exclaimed, sputtering. "Why? Why would you ask that?"

The corner of his mouth drew up in a lopsided smirk. "'Cause you're still sitting at my bar," he replied gesturing to her empty glass.

"Another drink" she deduced aloud. She sucked the last liquid through her straw and pushed her glass toward him.

"'Course another drink," he answered. "What'd you think I was talkin' about?"

"Nothing." Zoe shook her head, avoiding his gaze. "I'll definitely have another."

"Make that two," said a voice from behind her, and Zoe turned to see Annabeth standing there. She smiled and breathed a sigh of relief, not sure she could handle more time alone with Wade considering the way her thoughts had already begun mingling anger and desire, seemingly the only two things she felt whenever he was around.

Over the next few hours, Zoe had a good time with Annabeth, despite Wade being the only bartender working. It turned out Shelley had taken the night off because she had a date and everyone in town knew Wade wouldn't turn down an evening of supplying alcoholic beverages to tipsy twenty-something coeds.

Zoe hadn't had much more to drink after Annabeth had gotten there; she knew what happened when she was around Wade with alcohol in her system, and she knew that was one path she shouldn't be foraging down again any time soon.

It had gotten late, and the place had mostly cleared out by the time Annabeth and Jake's wedding song came over the loud speakers. At first, her reaction had been shock, followed quickly by what Zoe assumed to be a few silent, nostalgic tears. But after insisting Wade pour her a few more shots, which she downed instantly, Annabeth had become more tears and snot than anything else.

After a few moments, Wade came back over to clear their glasses, and Zoe pulled out her wallet to pay. Seeing the state Annabeth was in, Wade leaned across the bar.

"Don't worry about it, darlin'," he said to Annabeth, almost soothingly. "You're still young and pretty enough to find a man. Long as you stop all that paradin' around with Lemon and the debutantes. Hell, if ya weren't all blotchy and crying right now I'd even be willin-"

Annabeth burst into tears, cutting him off. After only a few moments, she was sobbing. Wade glanced at her and frowned. "Last call!" He yelled to the three other patrons in the bar.

"Really?" Zoe said indignantly. She gave Wade a disapproving look. "That's what you say to the drunk girl whose husband just left her?" Zoe forced herself not to allow any other reasons for her disapproval of Wade hitting on Annabeth to enter her mind. Right now she had to take care of her friend. Her personal drama could wait.

Wade shrugged.

"Of course," Zoe said sarcastically. "You don't care. That would require you to be serious about something. And Wade Kinsella doesn't do serious."

He arched a brow. "You done, doc?"

"As a matter of fact… No," Zoe replied. "Why is everything such a huge joke to you, Wade? Are you really incapable of taking anything seriously?"

"Why should I? When you've got enough serious for the both of us," Wade snapped back.

Zoe recoiled defensively. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that everything's life or death with you, Dr. Hart." He spat her name like poison. "At least I know how to have a good time."

"I know how-" Annabeth tried to stand from her bar stool and fell on the floor. Zoe bent to help her friend up. With her arm wrapped securely around Annabeth's waist, Zoe dropped some folded bills on the counter and glanced at Wade. "I need to get her home." From the look on Wade's face, he understood hers was the kind of tone that meant that they'd be finishing their conversation at a later date.


Thursday morning, Zoe's alarm clock went off later than normal. As a thank you for covering the office the day before so he could pick up his girls, Brick had insisted that Zoe take the morning off. After the night she had getting Annabeth home, calmed down and finally in bed, sleeping in was just what the doctor ordered- no pun intended.

Zoe lay in bed for several minutes staring at the ceiling before ultimately deciding to get up. She pulled her hair into a messy bun at the back of her head and slid her feet into her slippers. After a cup of coffee and no power shortages at the carriage house, Zoe showered and dressed, heading to Lavon's to scrounge up some breakfast.

"Mornin' Z," the mayor said with a smile from the counter. "Rough night?"

Zoe frowned. "That obvious?"

Lavon grinned. "Nah- Wade was in here earlier. Said you two got into an argument last night."

"Just like old times," Zoe sighed, stealing a piece of bacon from Lavon's plate. Of course, that was a lie. Before there had always been an underlying current of respect and friendship. At least, Zoe had thought there was.

"I still think you two would have been good together," Lavon said thoughtfully.

Zoe dismissed the thought immediately with a shake of her head. "I was just another in his long, long, long, long, long string of one night stands," she said with a frown. "I should have… I don't know taken antibiotics or started a support group or something," she sighed, still not sure she meant the words that were leaving her lips.

"Wade's not that bad." Lavon must have either noticed her mood or the look on her face because his next words were, "Alright, switch gears. I want to talk to you about the benefit."

Zoe sighed heavily. As far as she was concerned it was the worst idea in the world considering her track record. "Lavon, please no. The parade last year is what made the town hate me." He gave her a look. "Fine. It was one of many reasons that the town came to hate me. But-"

Lavon held up a hand to silence her. "This isn't about the parade." Zoe looked at him expectantly. "Every ten years, Bluebell has a special fundraiser for upcoming building and renovation projects. This year is the 310th anniversary of the founding of Bluebell. And the Historical Society has decided to throw a masquerade."

"I know," she said with an arched brow. "They've been setting up all week. It's in two days."

"Well that's why we need to talk." Lavon paused. "Y'see, I need you to go."

Zoe laughed. She turned her attention to the bagels on the counter and pushed one down into the toaster.

"Z, you know how many times I do things for you that I don't want to do?"

She looked at him guiltily before answering, "A lot?"

"Damn straight a lot. For one thing, Lavon Hayes does not do girlie relationship talk. All of a sudden you come to town and I feel like an understudy for Dr. Phil."

Zoe sighed. "Why do you need me there? You know my history with town events. I tend to either ruin the entire thing or make someone incredibly mad at me. Usually both." She met Lavon's eyes, realizing he wasn't going to budge on this request. "Fine. I'll go. But you better at least tell me why."

Lavon avoided her gaze. "Well, Lemon's comin' back today." He paused. "Just need you there… ya know, in case things don't go right."

Zoe scoffed. "I'm your back up date?"

"You promised." He retorted.

Zoe laughed. "What is this fifth grade?" Seeing that her humor was not going to have an effect she said, "Fine," and then paused. "But just so you know, this is the worst favor ever." She turned and walked toward the door. "Ever, Lavon!" She called over her shoulder before disappearing out the door.


It was still well before noon when Zoe arrived at the office. Work had become her solace now that things were so messed up with Wade and George. Zoe had come to realize how much she had changed over the last year and she was beginning to find that maybe her dream of being a heart surgeon wasn't really her dream after all. After all, she had made the choice to stay in Bluebell for a reason. Because it would make her a better person. Bluebell had grown to be a place she almost enjoyed and Zoe was finding that investing in peoples lives could potentially be more rewarding than performing surgery.

"Dr. Hart," Addie said with a smile from the reception desk. "We weren't expectin' you for a few hours yet."

Zoe's head snapped up, being pulled from her thoughts. "I know. I have some paperwork to get done. Don't worry about interrupting the patient rotation. Brick can handle it, I'm sure."

Addie nodded. Zoe was sure Addie was relieved that she and Brick had finally found some common ground instead of fighting over every patient that walked through the door. Everyone seemed to notice the change in the small doctor's office. Zoe had to admit, it made her a little happier to go to work in the morning. "Present for you in there," Addie gestured to Zoe's office. "Arrived a few minutes ago."

Interest sufficiently piqued, Zoe made her way into her office where a single pink peony sat on top of an envelope and a box wrapped in silver paper. Zoe peeked her head back out into the hallway. "Addie?" she questioned, calling down the hall. "Do you know who left this?"

Addie shrugged. "The delivery boy from Betty's came in with the flower about ten minutes ago," she said looking up from the file she was working on. "The other things were here on your desk when I came in first thing."

Zoe frowned at Addie and turned her attention back to the strange gift. Carefully, she picked up the flower and breathed in the sweet scent that she favored above all other flowers. She forced herself to think back and remember if she had told anyone of her love for peonies. She couldn't recall any specific instances, but perhaps she let it slip at some point without realizing it. Zoe placed the flower into a small glass vase on her desk before picking up the envelope.

It was a thick, creamy paper with Dr. Zoe Hart scrawled across the front of it. Smiling, she opened it and pulled out a piece of the same thick paper with the words

In masks outrageous and austere
The years go by in single file;
But none has merited my fear,
And none has quite escaped my smile.

Zoe read the words over and over. They tugged at some distant memory of college American Lit., but she couldn't place the poet that wrote them. Carefully she slid the paper back into the envelope and set it down on the desk. Turning her attention finally to the small box, she picked it up and lifted the lid. The tissue paper inside concealed the gift and for a brief moment Zoe let her mind wander at who the gift may be from. Originally she thought Lavon was making up for the inconsiderate 'date' proposal earlier that morning, but this seemed to have require more planning than an hour or so. And it seemed like the poem carried more significance than just someone backing up a friend at a dance.

Gingerly, she pushed the tissue paper back to reveal a delicate mask with silver gems. Looking from the box to the flower and envelope on the desk, Zoe wondered who had gone through all the trouble to put this together. Maybe it had been Lavon. After all, it was only two days before the big dance and it didn't seem likely that anyone else (i.e. George) would wait so long to ask her. Besides, with Lemon coming back this weekend, Zoe couldn't picture George asking her anyway- he wouldn't want to hurt Lemon by parading around town with the person Lemon hated most.

Picking up the mask to further inspect it, Zoe noticed a business card tucked in the folds of the tissue paper. It was for a dress shop in Mobile. Her brow furrowed as she turned the small card over and saw the words "they'll take care of you" written on the back. She returned the mask to the box and closed the lid. Despite the fact that she really didn't like surprises, Zoe found herself excited and intrigued by the new turn of events. She slid the envelope and box into her purse and pulled the strap up over her shoulder. Zoe took one last quick sniff of the peony, poured some water into the vase and then headed to the reception desk.

"Done with your paperwork already, Dr. Hart?" Addie asked with a knowing smile.

"Not exactly," Zoe replied. "I'm… uhh… I'll be back after lunch."

Addie tried to hold back a smile. "Secret admirer?"

"No? Yes? Well, maybe," Zoe looked at Addie, confused.

"Get anything good?" Addie asked.

"An invitation, I think," Zoe responded. "To the masquerade."

Addie closed the file she was working on and looked Zoe in the eye. "You go on and have fun now, Dr. Hart. You've been workin' too hard these last few weeks."

"But Brick-" Zoe started, pointing to the older man's office.

"I'll take care of Dr. Breeland," Addie cut Zoe off. She put her hand over Zoe's on the counter and gave the young doctor a smile. "You just come back when you're done."